Tweets of praise
Lin-Manuel Miranda calls creators of ‘Come From Away’ ‘utterly talented’
Lin-Manuel Miranda of the Broadway smash “Hamilton” has shared effusive praise for the “utterly talented” creators of the Tony Award-winning Canadian show “Come From Away.”
Miranda tweeted a string of compliments for Irene Sankoff and David Hein after taking in their musical, which is based on the true story of how the town of Gander welcomed over 7,000 stranded airline passengers after 9-11.
“Cod damn you Canadians for the 100 minutes wherein I constantly blinked back tears of gratitude for cheering for kindness and decency and your wonderful show,” Miranda tweeted after seeing the musical in New York.
He also applauded how Sankoff and Hein build excitement and tension throughout the show by not relying on a typical theatre technique.
Miranda explained that in the theatre world, the term “button” refers to when audiences are cued to applaud, usually at the end of a song.
He was amazed that “Come From Away” gives the applause cue only three times during the entire show, including at the end of the opening and closing numbers.
“So you’re seeing this incredible kindness and generosity and beautiful work and they don’t let you clap the whole show,” Miranda tweeted, in all caps for emphasis.
“It’s incredibly effective. And earned.
“But don’t let their kindness
“So you’re seeing this incredible kindness and generosity and beautiful work and they don’t let you clap the whole show. It’s incredibly effective. And earned. But don’t let their kindness fool you, them Canadians are ruthless with your emotions.” Lin-Manuel Miranda
fool you, them Canadians are ruthless with your emotions.”
A Canadian production of “Come From Away” is being staged in Winnipeg until Feb. 3 and moves to Toronto on Feb. 13.
A separate tour of the U.S. and Canada will be launched in the fall.
Sankoff and Hein are also working on a big-screen adaptation of the show, which picked up a Grammy nomination for best musical theatre album in November.